Bottom Side Control Escape

by ·
Published July 30, 2014
· Updated March 26, 2015

Getting out from under side control can be a tricky situation if you aren’t familiar with the proper escape protocol.

In order to escape from this tricky position, you have to remember to remain calm no matter what happens! The second you panic is the second that the match will take a turn for the worst and you will be in a tough spot!

Having a side control escape is a must!

Quick & Efficient Movement To Secure The Escape

The purpose of this setup is to be ready to execute and in a timely manner. If you are unable to perform this escape quickly, spend plenty of time drilling! The bottom side control is a tough spot to be in to begin with, and it only gets more difficult when you try to escape and have your limbs in compromising positions.

First off, you’ll want to cut to your hip. By turning onto your hip, you will have your shoulders aligned with one another, and this will prove to be a vital piece to the puzzle. You’ll want to sneak your elbow under their shoulder so that you will be able to flare your elbow out, creating the space needed to eventually escape.

As you escape, the first thing you’ll want to do is take your hand and reach it across the bottom of their back and grab hold of their hip. This will act as an anchor for you for later on when you look to advance your position.

As I stated earlier, the key to this sequence is to do this in an efficient manner. You can imagine that if you try to sneak your elbow in beneath their shoulder, you can easily get caught up in a hold if you aren’t careful.

Urgency is vital, as long as you are also doing it in an effective manner.

Maintaining The Proper Spacing With Your Body

Another vital part to this sequence is what you do when you escape the hold. As you escape, your body will be moving at a rather fast pace, and you will find yourself in an awkward position, which you must know how to navigate.

The key to the finishing sequence of this move is to stay tight to your opponent. By giving them space to work with, you’re allowing them the possibility of regaining the position that they were in, and you thus end up in a neutral position. While the neutral position isn’t always a bad thing, it isn’t the best.

By staying tight to your opponent and maintaining that far reach over their back, you can begin to work for a dominant position. As you are on the side, keep your hand on the inside of their thigh, which will allow you to get hook in.

Once you have one hook in, you’ll easily be able to sink a second hook in, giving you the possibility to secure your second hook, leading to you being able to flatten out your opponent and go for the submission finish.

If you are able to learn this new technique, you’ll soon be able to go from being trapped in a tight position to on the offensive and ready to secure the big submission victory. That doesn’t sound like a bad deal.